Blue Origin

The U.S. Department of Defense has awarded more than $7.7 billion in contracts to United Launch Services LLC and Blue Origin LLC as part of Phase 3 of the National Security Space Launch (NSSL) program. United Launch Services LLC, headquartered in Centennial, Colorado, secured a $5.36 billion firm-fixed-price contract to support Lane 2 of the NSSL effort. According to the contract announcement, the agreement includes launch services, anomaly resolution, mission analysis, and fleet surveillance. Work will be conducted across multiple launch sites, including Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and Vandenberg Space Force Base, and is expected to continue through April 2033. Meanwhile, Blue Origin LLC, based in Merritt Island, Florida, received a $2.39 billion contract under the same Lane 2 competition. Like ULA, Blue Origin is tasked with delivering end-to-end mission support, including early integration studies and launch service support. Their portion of the work will also be carried out at key U.S. launch sites in Florida and California. Both contracts stem from a competitive acquisition process, with four companies submitting bids for participation in Phase 3. Space Systems Command said Fiscal Year 2025 procurement funds totaling $135 million will be obligated initially across the two awards — $75.9 million for ULA and $59.2 million for Blue Origin. According to the U.S. Air Force, the Phase 3 Lane 2 awards are designed to provide assured access to space for high-priority national security payloads over the next decade. The government aims to diversify its launch capabilities while maintaining a high level of schedule assurance and mission readiness. The NSSL program has become a critical component of U.S. military space operations, supporting the deployment of missile warning systems, secure communications satellites, and space-based sensors vital to American defense and intelligence agencies. These awards follow a separate $5.92 billion contract issued to SpaceX earlier this week, also under the Phase 3 Lane 2 competition. All three companies — ULA, Blue Origin, and SpaceX — are expected to play central roles in maintaining and expanding U.S. strategic capabilities in orbit.

Blue Origin

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